Friday, 30 September, 2022 I 3 Rabi ul Awwal, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 92 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
MaryaM walks free g
IHC OveRTuRNS MARyAM, HeR SPOuSe CONvICTION IN AveNFIeLD CASe
g
MARyAM SAyS HeR ACquITTAL exPOSeD IMRAN’S FAKe ACCOuNTABILITy NARRATIve
ISLAMABAD
T
staff report
He Islamabad High Court (IHC) has overturned the conviction of Maryam Nawaz, vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and her husband retired Capt. Safdar Awan in the Avenfield House reference. In July 2018, an accountability court ruled that deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family laundered money in the 1990s to pay for four luxury apartments in Park Lane, central London, drawing on allegations that resurfaced in the 2016 Panama Papers. Accountability Court judge Mohammad Bashir sentenced Nawaz to seven years’ imprisonment, fined the family £10 million and ordered the seizure of the Avenfield properties. She also received an additional one-year sentence for presenting forged documents in court. Simultaneously, Nawaz’s husband, Awan, was sentenced to a year’s rigorous imprisonment for not cooperating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities. In October last year, she along with her father and husband approached the high court to annul the verdict. The family has long struggled to explain how the Avenfield flats came into their possession. Family members initially told different stories. During the NAB trial, Sharif’s defence claimed that a qatari investment fund gave the expensive properties to the family to repay a debt owed to Sharif’s father, Mian Muhammad Sharif. £7 million: Avenfield House (above), is located in Park Lane, central London, and has a view of Hyde Park. Commentators in 2017 mocked a letter from a qatari prince apparently testifying to that deal as a rabbit pulled out of a hat. Sharif and members of his family have denied any wrongdoing, and supporters claim the charges against them are politically motivated. On Thursday, responding to the judgement, the prime minister said the “edifice of lies, slander and character as-
sassination” had come crumbling down. “Maryam’s acquittal in the Avenfield reference is a slap in the face of the socalled accountability system that was employed to target the Sharif family. My congratulations to Maryam beti (daughter) and Safdar,” he tweeted. While a short order is awaited, based on the verdict, Nawaz is now eligible to contest elections. “A person who has been convicted of a crime involving corruption or moral turpitude is disqualified from contesting elections unless a period of five years has lapsed since their release,” according to Mirza Moiz Baig, a lawyer. “While the Supreme Court has, in the case of Samiullah Baloch, held that a disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) continues for life, a disqualification under Article 63(1)(g) isn’t incurable,” he explained. “Maryam Nawaz, unlike her father, was never declared to fall short of the requirements enshrined under Article 62(1)(f). On the contrary, the only bar to her contesting elections was her convic-
tion in the Avenfield reference. With the conviction being overturned by the Islamabad High Court, Maryam Nawaz’s candidature for an election to the Parliament will no longer trigger Article 63(1)(g).” ACQUITTAL EXPOSED IMRAN’S FAKE ACCOUNTABILITY NARRATIVE: PML-N vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said her and Capt (r) Safdar’s acquittal in the Avenfield case had not only exposed Imran Khan’s fake accountability narrative, but also vindicated Nawaz Sharif from baseless and unfounded allegations of corruption. Talking to media persons outside Islamabad High Court (IHC), she thanked her counsel advocates Amjad Pervez and Salman Akram Raja for vigorously pursuing the case. “The Allah Almighty has exonerated PML-N supremo Muhammad Nawaz Sharif family of all baseless and fake allegations leveled against them. Soon Nawaz Sharif will arrive in country,” she added. Maryam Nawaz also lauded the
Petroleum prices likely to witness ‘significant cut’ on October 1 ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani
Prices of all petroleum products are likely to witness substantial cuts if the ruling coalition government passes on the downward trend in the international oil market and does not increase the tax & levy with the start of next month of October. According to sources in oil industry, the per litre prices of petrol and diesel are likely to be decreased by Rs.7.24 and Rs.16.61 during the next fifteen days of October if the government passes on the impact of the declining trend in the global oil market by not jacking up the rate of tax, levy imposed in the per litre of petroleum products. At present the government is charging zero general sales tax (GST) on petroleum products while the rate of petroleum levy (PL) on petrol is Rs37.42 and on diesel it is Rs.7.58 per litre, said sources, adding, that the average price of crude oil has remained around 91 dollar per barrel from September 16 to 28 while the average prices of diesel and petrol remained at
$115 and $ 81 per barrel respectively in the international oil market. Sharing details of oil industry’s working regarding next fortnight, the sources said that ex-depot price of petrol has so far (!6th September to 28th September) registered Rs.7.24 decrease to Rs.230.19 per litre for the next fortnight compared to existing price of Rs.237.43 per litre. Similarly, the ex-depot price of diesel has decreased by Rs.16.61 to Rs.230.82 per litre for the next fortnight compared to current price of Rs.247.43 per litre. Likewise, the ex-depot price of light diesel has been reduced by Rs.10.87 to Rs.186.41 per litre for the upcoming fortnight compared to Rs197.28 per litre presently. Moreover, the ex-depot price of kerosene has recorded a decline of Rs.14.20 to Rs.187.82 per litre against Rs.197.28 per litre currently. According to the sources, the abovementioned calculation of the ex-depot prices of petroleum products is based on the existing rate of petroleum levy, margin and commission which are part of per litre price of petroleum products.
IHC’s verdict. Lashing out at Imran Khan, she said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman was a liar, conspirator and traitor. “He will have to answer for his misleading propaganda and allegations. History will seek answer from him for sullying a respectable family,” she added. She said Imran Khan was imposed on the country under a well hatched conspiracy to oust Nawaz Sharif as it was difficult for the former to become prime minister of the country in the presence of latter. “Nawaz family has remained steadfast in facing unfounded allegations against him and his family for six years and eventually Allah Almighty exonerated them,” she said. She said her father had decided to face Panama cases despite the fact that his friends and well-wishers foretold him about his likely punishment. She said Imran hatched conspiracy to sabotage deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF), attempted to divide Amred Forces and tried to make
election commission of Pakistan (eCP) controversial. The PML-N vice president demanded constitution of a high powered probe committee to probe into conspiracies hatch by Imran Khan, and also called for his arrest at the earliest. Referring to Imran and his principal secretary’s audio leak, she said Imran was heard in the leaked audio as saying that “let’s play with the cipher.” The bureaucrat then told Imran how to use the conspiracy card to fool the people, she added. “Imran must be punished for playing with the country’s national interest and security. Perhaps, he was treating the country as Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium,” she remarked sarcastically. She said the leaked audios had proved that the PML-N leadership was patriot and had always talked about respecting law of the land even in their private conversations, while the leaked audio of Imran Khan had proved him a traitor. Responding a question, she said the power plant’s machinery for her son in law was imported during the government of PTI and Imran should be ashamed of it. She felt pride that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif could be heard refusing to import the machinery from India due to ban on imports in his leaked audio. The health programme was launched by the government of her father Nawaz Sharif and she could not suggest closing such people friendly programme, she clarified. MARYAM NAWAZ MEETS PM AFTER ACQUITTAL: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said that PML-N vice President Maryam Nawaz met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the decision of Islamabad High Court. In a tweet, she said that Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Maryam Nawaz on her acquittal and Captain Safdar’s acquittal. While expressing her gratitude to Allah Almighty over acquittal of Maryam Nawaz, she said “Allah Almighty has done great grace, Allah has given great honour.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
Imran claims ‘audio leak’ damaged Shehbaz’s reputation and not his MUZAFFARABAD staff report
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chief Imran Khan on Thursday declared that the leaked audio conversation between him and his principal secretary had damaged Shahbaz Sharif’s reputation and not his. Addressing the public gathering in Muzaffarabad, Imran Khan said that over 100,000 people have sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Kashmir’s independence. He said that he would fight for the Kashmir cause until he is alive. He added that their government ended all ties with India when Narendra Modi’s government ended Kashmir’s special constitutional status. Trade with India would be beneficial but we did not prefer it over our Kashmiri brothers’ struggle, he added. Imran Khan thanked Shahbaz Sharif for allegedly leaking his audio conversation with his principal secre-
tary Azam Khan. The PTI chief said that Sindh is submerged in floods while Bilawal Bhutto is touring America. Shehbaz Sharif begged a female journalist for funds, he added. Ishaq Dar, who was an abscon-
der for five years, has returned to the country and has been appointed the finance minister, he added. If these powerful people are given NRO, then why are the poor people booked? Imran Khan questioned.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03